In the world of High School DxD, dragons are a central element. The protagonist, Issei Hyoudou, wields a Sacred Gear called the Boosted Gear, which houses the soul of a dragon, and its raw power is nothing short of immense. Dragons are simply strong. For that reason, they were feared by every faction. Most of the famous dragons were either subjugated or sealed away, with some of their souls coming to reside within Sacred Gears.
Besides Tannin, the dragons I knew of were Ddraig and Albion, the two Heavenly Dragons whose souls were now sealed in Longinus-class Sacred Gears; and the Five Great Dragon Kings. There was Vritra, the Prison Dragon, who resided in the Sacred Gear of Sona Sitri's Pawn, Genshirou Saji. Fafnir, the Golden Dragon King who loved blonde nuns' panties. Yu-Long, famous from Journey to the West. Midgardsormr, the Sleeping Dragon created by Loki. And finally, Tiamat, the only female and currently active Dragon King. I didn't remember many details about the last three, as they only made brief appearances in the original story.
Then there was Ophis, the strongest gothic-lolita mascot, known as the Ouroboros Dragon, who had been propped up as the leader of the terrorist group, the Chaos Brigade. And Great Red, the Apocalypse Dragon, whose name made up part of the series' title. His (?) constant cries of "No, not there!" have remained shockingly burned into my memory. The protagonist's sins run deep.
From Samael, the Dragon Eater used by the Hero Faction, to Lilith, the clone of Ophis created by Rizevim, and the Evil Dragons revived by the Longinus, Sephiroth Graal—dragons were deeply intertwined with this world. Their personalities varied, but they all had one thing in common: they were incredibly willful. As Azazel had said, they were extremely self-absorbed and particular about their interests. On the flip side, they tended to be completely indifferent to anything outside their sphere of interest.
There was one other thing all dragons had in common: you must never touch their "sore spot." What this sore spot was varied from dragon to dragon, but if you touched it even once, they would attack you with a terrifying obsession. They would not stop until either they were dead or their target was. Dragons are creatures that obsess over their treasures. It was a line that must never be crossed, no matter how powerful one might be. That was why dragons were feared and revered even by gods and devils.
"Whoa, this is amazing…"
"We are so high up!"
"You kids are lucky, getting to ride on the back of a Dragon King, even if he's a former one. This is a first for me, too."
"Of course it is, Azazel. You can fly with your own wings. This is the first time I've ever carried a Fallen Angel on my back, as well."
We were currently high up in the sky. I'd been on planes for trips before, but this was the first time I had ever felt the sky so directly. I was so moved that I was at a loss for words. The back of the dragon was so vast that all three of us could ride on it with room to spare. Everything about this was just too incredible. Just seeing this view made me glad I came to the Underworld.
Apparently, Tannin had come all the way to the entrance of the valley to pick us up. So, we were now heading to the fire dragons' nest deep within the valley, riding on his back. Azazel playfully slapped Tannin's back, and the former Dragon King let out a sigh with an indescribable tone. Sorry about that, this teacher of mine is something of a troll.
The two of them had known each other since the Great War, but it was through Mephisto that they'd started talking more frequently. Azazel apparently came here occasionally to collect dragon-related materials for his research, and Tannin had borrowed Fallen Angel technology to improve the living conditions for the dragons. Azazel really leaves no stone unturned; his network is incredibly wide.
"I was worried I might get thrown off riding a dragon's back, but this is surprisingly comfortable."
"I'm maintaining a special barrier on my back while you are riding. I can't very well drop my guests."
Wow, as expected of Tannin. He's so sensible, which makes it all the more tragic that he's become a byword for "pitiful."
"By the way, are the eggs from the request doing okay?"
"For now. My servants are using their demonic energy to suppress the heat. However, fine control is difficult for dragons. I am genuinely grateful that Lavinia has come."
"Servants?"
"He means his peerage of dragons," Lavinia explained. "They are all very, very large. The elder of the dragon nest we are headed to is one of Tannin's servants."
Oh, is that right? Come to think of it, Tannin is a highest-class devil. Of course he would have received a set of Evil Pieces. It's not strange at all for him to have a peerage. I only knew of Tannin as a dragon who had been reincarnated as a devil, but there might be more of them than I thought.
"Tannin's team is nasty," Azazel chimed in. "I hear that teams who face them in a Rating Game sometimes develop a phobia of dragons."
"Wait, Tannin participates in the games?!"
"Now that there are no more great wars, the Rating Games, where I can fight a variety of opponents, are quite interesting. I participate from time to time with my peerage."
"An army of giant dragons… that's the stuff of nightmares."
I knew that Rating Games had rules and that simply being strong didn't guarantee victory. Still, I would absolutely hate to fight against a group of intimidating, giant dragons like that. I couldn't blame their opponents for developing a dragon phobia, just like Riser. They were an overwhelmingly powerful team. And they used demonic energy on top of that. The only saving grace was that they only participated occasionally.
We enjoyed a lighthearted chat for a while. Still, it was surreal how casually I was talking with these incredible individuals. A magical girl with a Longinus, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, and a former Dragon King who was now a highest-class devil. I felt so out of place. I had no special title; I was just a background character. I was planning to live a quiet life, so that was fine by me. In this world, becoming famous just squares your chances of raising a death flag. Not doubles—squares.
I reaffirmed my resolve to live a plain, steady, and diligent life. And with that, we finally arrived at the dragons' nest.
"Demise, Ice Princess, bring this one peace."
In the dragons' nest, there were dozens of fire dragons. Every single one was many times larger than me, each possessing an overwhelming presence. When Tannin descended from the sky, all the fire dragons bowed their heads in unison. He really is the king of dragons. The sight took my breath away.
Perhaps because humans were a rare sight, or maybe because Azazel was with us, many curious eyes turned toward us as we dismounted from Tannin's back. It was unsettling, but a relief that I didn't feel any hostility. From among the silent, standing dragons, a fire dragon about Tannin's size emerged. This must be the elder of the nest, one of Tannin's peerage.
Following the dragon, we saw a large, stone-ruin-like structure. As we walked inside, the next thing that caught my eye were the young red dragons. It was getting dark, so a dozen or so mini-dragons were huddled together, sleeping. Lavinia and I both brought a finger to our lips.
Dragons are not a species that likes to flock together, even with their own kind. The reason so many were gathered here was because it was the season for laying eggs and raising their young. Tannin placed great importance on preserving the dragon species. Therefore, the dragons under his protection respected his wishes and cooperated with each other to raise their young during this period.
We proceeded quietly so as not to wake the young dragons and finally reached the back of the ruins. Several eggs were laid out there, but in a separate spot, further away, was a single egg. That must be the one from the request. Even from a distance, I could feel a heat that scorched my skin. I used my Sacred Gear to delete the external heat affecting me, and a shimmering, cold aura began to envelop Lavinia.
As planned, Lavinia stood before the egg and began to slowly cool the heat within it using the power of her Sacred Gear. A pale blue light enveloped her and spread, seeming to seep into the heat-radiating egg. A single bead of sweat trickled down her cheek as she closed her eyes in concentration. It likely wasn't from the heat, which meant the level of control required was immense. This was a method only she, with her mastery over ice, could perform.
Thanks to her efforts, after a few minutes, the intense heat subsided. Lavinia let out a great sigh of relief, and at the same time, the heat from the fire dragon's egg became almost unnoticeable. She turned to us and smiled happily. A success, it seemed. I smiled back, took a towel and a water bottle from my backpack, and handed them to her. When I quietly praised her efforts, she nodded, her face filled with a sense of accomplishment.
"You have my thanks, Lavinia. I am grateful for your prompt assistance."
"Not at all, this is my job."
"Um, so is Lavinia's job done now?"
"No, unfortunately, not yet. All I did was temporarily lower the heat inside the egg. Over time, it will rise again. So I need to cool it periodically with my magic."
We moved away from where the egg was kept and were guided to a place where we could rest. Finally able to catch my breath, I drank from my water bottle to soothe my throat. It seemed the job was far from over. There was no way to let the heat escape the egg, so this was unavoidable. But didn't that mean we had to stay here the whole time?
"Please leave that to me. If I have a few days, I can combine my magic to create a passage for the heat to escape. Chairman Mephisto taught me various formulas for this very purpose."
"I see. So until that formula is complete, you'll have to keep cooling it down…"
I had come prepared to stay in the Underworld for a few days, so that wasn't a problem, but there was really nothing for me to do. I was still just studying magic, so I couldn't help, and I couldn't exactly go stabbing the egg with my Sacred Gear. Lavinia would be busy creating the formula and cooling the egg, but what was I supposed to do?
"Alright then, I'm heading back to Grigori for a bit. Got the scales I was after, too."
"Wait, you're leaving?"
"I'm not free enough to hang around with you kids the whole time. I'll come back to pick you up when Lavinia's spell is done. Until then, have Tannin put you through some training."
"…Huh?"
Wait, hold on a minute. Did he just say something incredibly disturbing? Who is going to train whom? This is Tannin we're talking about. A highest-class devil, a former Dragon King, a dragon with offensive power comparable to the impact of a meteor. Having such a great being train me is absolutely insane. Besides, I'm sure he's very busy.
"Ah, when I accepted this job from Mephisto, I was told to look after these two as part of the payment."
"Um, Tannin, I don't think 'look after' meant 'put through training'—"
"Kanata here is going to have nothing to do until the formula is complete," Azazel cut in. "He's lacking way too much to survive what's coming. But we don't have a lot of time to spare. In that case, the only option is training that guarantees a certain level of results."
"Azazel, I'll die! I'm human, I'll die! It's not right for a human to train with a dragon!"
Casting aside the typical Japanese inability to say "no," I pleaded with all my might, on the verge of tears. Seriously, I felt like I was about to cry. No way, absolutely no way. I had managed to avoid the iron ball and the body modification surgery, and now I was being left with the worst possible option! This isn't training, it's torture! It's just a death flag!
In the original story, Issei Hyoudou trained under Tannin, but that was because he housed a dragon and needed to learn how to control its aura. I don't have any dragon power at all. It's presumptuous of me to even think of having Tannin train me, and more importantly, I really can't see a future where I survive.
He's a sensible and good dragon, but he's also the type to casually say things like, "I just have to bully them to the point of death, right?" I don't have the guts to push myself for the sake of perversion like the protagonist, nor do I have his physical abilities. All the combat experience I've gained so far has been from surprise attacks!
"Relax. Even I know that if Tannin trained you directly, you'd be burned to a crisp in your current state. I came up with the training menu myself, so it'll probably stop at half-dead."
"Azazel, please look up the definition of the word 'relax' in a dictionary, right now."
"I'll have Lavinia support you, so your food and shelter are secured. Since you're human, the training will only be for a few hours a day, but you could still get a significant power-up. And you probably won't die. You won't find training with such favorable conditions very often, you know?"
"You're saying that knowing full well what it entails, aren't you?!"
Saying that with such a gleeful smirk on your face isn't convincing at all! And what do you mean, "probably won't die"?! I may have a convenient Sacred Gear, but I'm just a normal human being! The Underworld, dragons… sure, the stage is set like the original story, but it's ridiculous to think I'd end up in the same situation as the overpowered protagonist. The wonderful memories I had of being glad to have come to the Underworld are about to be painted over with terror!
"Azazel. Are you sure about this?" Tannin asked.
"Well, he's like this. His Sacred Gear is a troublesome one, but he lacks the foundation to master it. It can't be helped since he was a normal person, but… we can't just leave him as he is."
"You seem to be taking quite an interest in him."
"I'm his teacher. I can't do things halfway. …Hey, Kanata."
My mind had gone blank from the shock of training with a dragon. As I stood there in confusion, Azazel flicked my forehead. The pain brought fresh tears to my eyes, but I couldn't complain. I realized the smile had vanished from his face, and he was looking straight at me.
"I know it must feel like I'm asking the impossible, but if we don't go this far, there's no way I can get you into shape by the end of summer vacation. It's true that under normal circumstances, you might not need such dangerous training."
"Then…"
"But in that case, I'm afraid I can't let you return to your normal life. If I ask Mephisto, it would be easy to extend your study abroad period. Until you surpass the standards I've set… don't even think you can go back to your everyday life."
My eyes widened at Azazel's words, and I was speechless. This must be what it feels like to be struck dumb. I had taken it for granted that I would be able to return to Japan at the end of the summer vacation. But now I knew just how naive I had been.
"I told you before, about how Grigori deals with the Sacred Gear users we take under our protection. Basically, to prevent our power from leaking to other factions, we detain—no, we imprison them. Even if they learn to control their powers. No matter how much they wish for a normal life as an ordinary person."
"…"
"I am the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels. I pursue my hobbies with all my might, I get obsessive, and I do as I please. But even so, I have to protect my organization and my friends. For that, I will trample on the rights of you Sacred Gear users and make you follow our rules. That's the way of the underworld, a place ruled by those with power."
…Right, that was it. I had forgotten. I should have realized it before the summer vacation started. My current life was just a series of coincidences. I was just a lucky person who happened to meet Lavinia and be taken in by Mephisto. I should have known that normally, there's no going back to an ordinary life. But somewhere in my heart, I had thought it didn't apply to me.
I could understand what he was saying. If they let a human who could control a Sacred Gear run wild, the other factions wouldn't just leave them alone. They could be turned into a devil's servant, or the Church or the Hero Faction could get their hands on them. If that resulted in harm to the Fallen Angel faction, it would be a disaster. The Sacred Gear user probably wouldn't want that either. But I couldn't accept it. Of course I couldn't. It would be strange to accept it.
Because having a Sacred Gear wasn't my choice. My life was being tossed around by a power I happened to possess, and now I was being constrained by the rules of non-humans. I was being forced to obey through power, with no regard for my own will. It was only natural to feel angry. It was only natural to feel frustrated.
But that was how this world worked. Even if you thought it was absurd and messed up, that's just the way it was. If you want to have your own way, you need some kind of power to back it up. If I wish to continue living my everyday life, I need the power to make that possible. This world is truly ruthless.
"…The users in the Fallen Angel organization probably resent you, Professor."
"I'm a Fallen Angel. I'm used to being resented."
"But I'm sure there are people who are grateful to you, too. Even if they don't say it out loud."
If I don't get stronger, I can't go home. It's absurd, but part of me understands it. I suppose I'm really lucky. Because I have a choice. It's terrifying, I hate it, and I feel like crying, but I still have a chance. And there are people who are giving me that chance.
Alright, I'll do it. I'm weak. Even if my Sacred Gear is amazing, I'm the one holding it back. I may not have the spirit of Issei Hyoudou, who seeks strength to pursue his dream of "building a harem," or Vali Lucifer, who purely seeks strength to "become the strongest." Still, I want to become a user worthy of my partner.
I don't have a grand goal or pride like everyone else. So, I'll make just one. The one thing I can be proud of. Given my personality, there probably won't be any situations in the future where I can confidently say, "Leave it to me!" But I felt like I could do my best to think, "I'm the only one who can master this Sacred Gear!" Because my Sacred Gear and I are in this together.
I want to continue living my everyday life. To do that, I have to get stronger. So, I decided to aim to become a user worthy of the partner I'll have for the rest of my life.
"Professor Azazel."
"…What is it?"
"Demon, slacker, bully, troll, Fallen Angel."
"Is 'Fallen Angel' in the same category as insults now?!"
"I'll do it, damn it. I'll even do my best training with a dragon. If I die during training, I swear I'll come back as a ghost and twist the very laws of causality to erase any chance of you ever being popular with women or having a wife and kids."
"That's a subtly horrible form of revenge…!"
"Ah, Tannin. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. I look forward to your guidance, to the extent that I don't die."
"Hey, the difference in attitude toward me…"
You know you're resented, so you can take a little bit of my frustration. Training with a fifteen-meter-tall dragon is truly terrifying, you know. But if I can't go back to my normal life unless I do it, then I have no choice. I know it's necessary, and I know you're thinking of what's best for me, so I'll thank you in my heart. I have no intention of saying it out loud.
"Kana, are you going to be okay?"
"When a person gets desperate, they can do anything."
"I feel like being desperate is not a good thing…"
Lavinia retorted. And so, it was decided that I would undergo the dragon version of the traditional Fallen Angel-style Sacred Gear special training from High School DxD.
***
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